Rafael Nadal Cool On Expectations After Winning Injury Return
Rafael Nadal said he had limited expectations at the Barcelona Open as he made a triumphant return from injury on Tuesday, beating Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-3. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had not played a competitive match since January but eased past the 62nd-ranked Cobolli in 85 minutes to reach the second round. The former world number one has seen his ranking slip to 644 after missing all of the 2023 season following the Australian Open. His comeback at the start of this year hit a stumbling block when he felt a hip injury flare up in Brisbane.